


The Watch

by iamfitzwilliamdarcy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 22:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14483010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamfitzwilliamdarcy/pseuds/iamfitzwilliamdarcy
Summary: Before he goes to the Cave, Regulus visits Sirius one last time.





	The Watch

It was the middle of the night, a new moon, cloudy, when Sirius was awoken by banging on his flat door. He was still in his day clothes, Muggle jeans and a T-shirt of a band he’d never actually listened to, having collapsed in his bed after returning home from a two-day mission for the Order. It’d been hours, but he felt like he’d just lain down when jerked awake. 

The banging persisted, and Sirius scrambled up, annoyed and tense. It wasn’t the Potters or Peter or Remus—they would just come in. Another Order member would send warning first. Or should, he thought grumpily. 

He grabbed his wand from his nightstand and crept towards his door, a sense of foreboding growing. Even in peace times, he was sure, someone banging on your door in the middle of the night could not entail good news. It certainly wasn’t peacetime, and Sirius was in the thick of the war efforts.

Sirius peeked through his defenses to see who was on the other side, and startled. He was grateful Regulus did not see how his arrival had surprised him. Brow creased, Sirius cracked open the door as Regulus raised his knuckle to rap again. 

He looked pale, Sirius thought, more so in the fluorescent glare of the hallway. His face was pinched and he was hunched inside his cloak. 

“What do you want?” Sirius hissed, glaring at him. 

“Can I come in?” Regulus asked. 

“No you bloody well can’t,” Sirius said. He glanced up and down the hallway, checking for any other Death Eaters. “What do you want?”

Regulus also glanced around, anxiously. “Please,” he said. “It’s not safe out here.”

There was something in his eyes that trapped Sirius. He opened his mouth to send his brother away, but what came out was, “Fine, get in.”

He stepped aside, cracked the door open just a bit wider so Regulus could slip past him, and added, wand pointing at him, “But don’t try anything because we both know who the better dueler is here.” 

“I’m not here to fight,” Regulus said. He lowered the hood of his cloak, and if Sirius had bothered to see, he might’ve noticed Regulus’ trembling hands. 

“Then what are you here for?” Sirius demanded roughly. “Just popping by for tea at your disgraced brother’s common, Muggle flat in the middle of the night? Tsk, tsk what would your little Death Eater friends think of you?”

“I want to give you—,” Reg cleared his throat. His mouth was dry. “I have something for you.”

Sirius arched an eyebrow, his arms folding across his chest. “What could you possibly have for me that I want?”

Sirius watched as Regulus unclasped his watch. It was too big for Regulus’ scrawny wrist and could just be slipped off, but Regulus always did things properly. 

“Here,” Regulus said, holding the watch out to Sirius. “Take it.”

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the watch. He’d last seen it decorating his father’s arm, and it could have been gracing Reg’s for a year. “I don’t want that,” he said disdainfully. 

“It’s yours,” Regulus insisted. “By rights.”

Sirius laughed out loud. “Do you actually not know what being disowned and disinherited entails?” 

Regulus pressed his lips together, and Sirius continued, bitter amusement still in his voice, “Your father would be furious if he knew you were trying to give it to me now.”

Regulus flinched. 

“Don’t,” he pleaded. “Father is dead, please don’t.”

There was nothing, Sirius noted, that was accusatory in his voice. He sounded only scared and young. Perhaps he really wasn’t there to fight. 

“I don’t want to talk about them,” Sirius said impatiently. “So if that’s all you’re here for…” he gestured towards the door. 

Regulus stared at him a long while, his eyes wide, his hand still stretched out towards Sirius, clutching the watch. It was like there was a gulf between them.

“Please,” he repeated. “Just take it. I—,”

“What do you want to give it to me for anyway?” Sirius snapped, glaring suspiciously back. “What’ve you done to it?”

“Nothing, I swear,” Regulus said earnestly. 

“Then why—,”

“I can’t tell you,” Regulus interrupted. “You won’t understand now. Can you just—can you just trust me?” 

“No,” Sirius said bluntly, ignoring the twinge is guilt that flared up in him when Reg just blinked, startled, at him. This was a war, he reminded himself sternly, and he and his brother were not on the same side. 

Reg looked at him a little longer. He seemed to be trying to go for nonchalant, disinterested. His hand holding the watch fell. 

“What did you expect,” Sirius said softly, almost gently although there was still an edge, “coming here? You know where I stand. You know where you stand. Father dying doesn’t change that.”

Regulus swallowed. Said, voice trembling, “There’s more at work than just that.” He paused, like he was fighting with himself, before blurting out, “Mother might need you to look after her soon.”

Sirius’ temper rose up before he could control it. “Don’t talk to me about her!” he shouted, ignoring again the way Regulus winced away from him. “She doesn’t need or want me and the feeling is mutual.”

Regulus’ face stilled, though it was still very pale. He closed his eyes and after several long moments, said, strained, “You’re right. This was a mistake.” 

He was blinking furiously as he fumbled to put his watch back on. “I shouldn’t have come,” he added, pulling his cloak tighter around him. “Sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

Sirius softened a little as Regulus pushed past him to the door. “Reg,” he said, finally letting himself be concerned. “What’s—?”

“Forget it,” Regulus said. His eyes were dry when he looked back at Sirius. “You don’t care anyway. Just—-I tried, okay?”

And then he turned and left. Dread welled up suddenly inside Sirius, and he almost called after Regulus, but he didn’t know what to say and then his brother turned the corner and was gone.


End file.
